03x07 Death is not the End
by She'sAknightOfknights
Summary: Lexa awakes to find herself in a bright room with no memory of how she got there. Clarke is stunned to find her awake and explains that the war is over. There is a new Commander now. Lexa and Clarke owe nothing more to their people
A faint humming filled the air, steady and calm. Suddenly a sharp pain in her temple gave a violent throb and Lexa woke. Her body felt heavy and her thoughts were fuzzy. She knitted her eyebrows together in pain as the throbbing in her head threatened to render her unconscious again. She lay there fighting to stay awake as the humming continued around her, sporadically punctuated by the clicking and whirring of something mechanic. _Where was she?_

She focused on her breathing, taking in a deep steadying breath that made her lungs ache as they struggled to accommodate the effort. _Well I'm breathing,_ she thought. She didn't open her eyes; she wasn't ready for that yet. Instead, she focused on the rest of her body. She imagined her arms resting beside her, and of her hands and fingers. At this thought, her thumb gave a twitch. She let out a small sigh.

Her hands were stiff as she grasped at the material beneath her, it was soft and bunched up easily in her fingers. _Blankets,_ she thought. The pain in her head was subsiding and Lexa knew she couldn't hide from this anymore. With a deep breath, she clenched her fist, ready to face what may have been waiting for her in the room. She opened her eyes and blinked in the brightness, trying to bring her vision into focus.

She squinted against the artificial light and took in her surroundings. Her eyes roamed the small room she was in. She took in the walls of machinery, little lights glowed and blinked next to countless buttons and switches. There were what looked like windows taking up much space on the walls and piles paperwork on the edge of a desk. Next to the desk were two silver panels with glass inlaid in them with what looked like handled in the middle. _Its a door!_

Lexa's heart began to beat fast. She had to get to the door. She struggled to sit up and found that she didn't have the strength. Fear gripped her, stopping the breath in her chest. She wouldn't be defeated by this. With a great effort, she rolled to her side and used her arms to push herself up. She sat up and immediately felt dizzy, she swayed where she sat and little black dots swam in her vision. She reached up to rub her eyes but her arm stopped short and pain shot through her hand and arm. She looked down to see what had happened and was shocked to see that her arm was bone thin, so unlike her own.

The pain had come from the tube protruding from her emaciated forearm. She brought her arm up to inspect the tube, her eyes followed the tubes progress to find that it was hooked into some sort of machine. She stared at the screen, watching as numbers and letters flashed and the machine continued to hum and beep. She looked back at her own hands and arms, not wanting to believe how thin and pale she had become.

Somewhere behind her something clattered to the floor and she heard the loud gasp of a girl

"Lexa?" a shaky unsure voice called out. Lexa didn't speak. She didn't move. She knew that voice. _Clarke._ The named came to her from somewhere deep in the back of her mind. Lexa heard the scraping of a chair and quick footsteps approaching her. She gripped the edge of the bed she was laying on and looked up. Lexa stared at Clarke as she stopped in front of where Lexa sat. Clarke stared at Lexa her eyes dancing around her face and body, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, her mouth slightly parted in shock. She reached out as if to touch Lexa then stopped, her gaze fell to Lexa's knees as her hand retracted to her side.

Lexa took in Clarke's appearance, mesmorized by the girl before her. It was Clarke, but she was different. Her long blonde hair had been cut short barely reaching the tops of her exposed shoulders. The straps of the shirt she was wearing did little to cover the long deep scar that ran from the top of one shoulder and came down across her chest to disappear in the nape of her shirt. Clarke too was thin and pale, her eyes were more than tired and she looked older.

"Clarke…" Lexa's voice was thin and raspy. Her throat nearly burned with the effort of that one word. Clarke's head snapped up and her eyes found Lexa's again searching. A tear fell down her cheek as her features broke out in relief. Clarke reached forward cupping both hands gently around Lexas face and leaned in pressing her forehead to Lexa's.

"You came back… I knew, I knew you would" Clarke's voice broke as she shook with silent tears. Lexa reached up and covered Clarke's hands in her own. She closed her eyes and leaned against Clarke enjoying the warmth of this moment.

"Clarke… where am I? What is this?" Lexa asked softly.

Clarke pulled back and crossed her arms over her chest, Lexa almost regretted asking. She missed Clarkes touch immediately. She watched as Clarke glanced at the monitors and then around the room. Lexa thought she looked even sadder than before.

"You are in Arkadia. …well whats left of it. And this…" Clarke looked around the room in gesture

"This is how your body is still alive." She looked down almost as if she felt guilty for her answer.

Lexa reached out and grabbed Clarkes hand.

"Hey…" Lexa spoke gently as she ran her thumb gently across the back of Clarkes hand. Clarke looked at her hand in Lexa's.

" _Is it_ though? … _ **Are**_ you ok? We had no idea what would happen or if it would even work. Raven said we could be making a huge mistake and you wouldn't be… right, if you- _when_ you came out." Clarke looked away as she spoke.

Lexa didn't know what to say… she searched her memories there were so many. Anya, the Conclave, the battles, _Costia_ , the wars, then her memories changed, she remembered Clarke walking into her tent, them walking into battle together, a kiss. Lexa's breath caught in her chest at that. Then the memories came in a great flood faster and faster. She left Clarke and her people at the mountain, Clarke was gone and when she came back they were… on the brink of war. There was a field of hundreds of her people slain and her people were demanding blood.

Realization hit her. She squeezed Clarkes hand in her own.

"Clarke, your people, they're in danger! Why are we here?" Lexa moved to stand

"We should-"

"Hey, calm down its ok" Clarke spoke as she placed a hand on Lexa's shoulder and pushed her gently back down.

"The war is over Lexa. There is no 13th Clan. We suffered some pretty heavy losses, but ..." Clarke looked away before she continued

"The Commander did what he could and gave us the option to assimilate into any existing Clan that would take us. It wasn't his decision, but his people didn't give him much choice. They wanted blood and it was all he could do to save as many of us as he could." Clarke finished in a flat tone. Lexa stared hard at Clarke, her mind racing.

"H-how long have I…?" Lexa couldn't finish her sentence. Clarke reached down and grabbed Lexa's hands.

"Long enough for Aden to pass the conclave and become Commander. Lexa, he did it. His first act as commander was to swear loyalty to me, to my people and he did everything he could to save us. You'd be so proud. He kept me safe." Clarke's voice cracked again as she spoke.

"He is the reason I survived to meet up with Raven and bring your-bring _you_ here so that we could save you." Lexa looked around the room. She heard Clarke's words but still couldn't believe them.

"Aden is Commander now" Lexa repeated. She was proud and thankful he had survived, but that meant…

"I died. Aden became Commander because I died. My soul chose him… then how am I here?" Lexa's euebrows furrowed in disbelief and confusion. She looked at Clarke hoping for answers but scared to hear them.

Clarke took a deep breath, she released Lexa's hand and turned away. Lexa didn't reach out for her.

"Yes, …you passed on. Titus performed the Ritual and removed your spirit from your body so that the next commander could be chosen." Clarke hugged herself and continued speaking to the room.

"Your body was safe I brought it here and convinced Raven to help me, she had my mom help her build this room for you. And I…," Clarke turned around tears forming in her eyes again.

"I did what it took to get your soul back. You chose Aden and he rose to Commander with part of your spirit in him, but… I went in and I found you. I brought you back with me. And with this machine," Clarke gestured to a towering form of machines and wires

"We..." she paused, as if unsure how to choose her words.

"We were able to reunite your soul and body. We didn't know if it worked, you've been sleeping for weeks." Clarke's voice was so low Lexa strained to hear her next words.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't come back. That I had made a mistake and that you wouldn't be the same, or that you would be mad I did this… I-I," tears fell freely down Clarkes cheeks as she stopped talking.

Lexa sat there processing all of this. Was she mad? Upset? Clarke had saved her soul, but at what cost... Lexa looked across the room to her reflection in the glass. She was thin and pale, dressed in a plain shirt. She looked tired and small, but she _felt_ alive. Death was not her end. Clarke had undoubtedly risked her own life to make sure of that. She glanced over to Clarke who was still hugging herself and not making eye contact with her. With great effort, Lexa slowly rose from the bed. She pulled the tube from her arm and took a few tentative steps to close the distance. She reached out for Clarkes hand and pulled her around to face her. Lexa stared into her eyes and smiled.

"Lexa, im so sorry." Clarke began. "You died and I wasn't ready. I didn't know how to let go I-" Lexa pulled Clarke close until they were standing only inches apart and Clarke stopped talking

"Clarke?" She asked gently. Clarke sniffled and looked into Lexa's eyes.

"Can we talk about something other than my death?" A small smile played across Lexa's lips. Clarke stared at her in confusion, then slowly she broke into a grin.

"You really are ok" Clarke sighed in relief.

"You sound a little too surprised" Lexa looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but Clarke said nothing. She stood there staring up at Lexa as if seeing her for the first time. Lexa's smile faded as she remembered what Clarke had said.

"Clarke your people.."

" _Our_ people" Clarke interjected "Are going to be ok. Under the new Heda, order will be kept." Clarke stared into Lexas eyes and continued in a whisper " We owe nothing more to our people Lexa"

Lexa stood there stunned as these words sunk in.

"So.. I'm.. just Lexa" she let the words fall from her lips hardly daring to believe them.

"And I'm 'Just Clarke'" the blonde responded as she reached up, one hand entangling itself into Lexa's hair and the other cubbing her cheek. Clarke leaned in for a long passionate kiss.


End file.
